The Situation
by FyreFlies
Summary: 'Victoire was like a fire, but Dominique was the wind; the very air he breathed.' Full Title: The situation of Altair and Vega. Where Teddy finds himself in a situation during Christmas and gets a little help from his best friend and favourite Godfather. Part of One-shot Series: Solar


Preface:

To Teddy, Victoire's love was a blazing fire; passionate, a constant burn coursing through his heart as he looked upon her, through his fingertips as he caressed her and through his mind if someone mentioned her, even in passing. It was an all-consuming blaze that lit up, destroyed everything in its path and then fizzled out into dying embers, suddenly, as if it had never existed.

He knew it would never last. It was inevitable that so much passion would die out eventually and still, he let himself fall in. Deeper and deeper until he felt as if he was nothing without her, nothing without her love, her presence, her light. It had to end.

It was chemical.

Destructive.

She said she didn't want to drag him down with her as she burned, as she fell from the sky like a kamikaze burning through the night. It was how she wanted to go, but he was different. Daring, yes. But sensible, caring, understanding. He was the sun: a constant warmth that fed life into others and made them flourish.

It could never last, he kept telling himself when she ended it. Two strong fires burning in two different, two polar ways. He knew this was true, so true. But it hurt. Behind his smiles, it still hurt. Merlin, it hurt so much…

…Back then, but now it didn't, because he understood. They weren't right for each other. They were like a live wire in the rain. It was as if they were on a sinking ship without a life ring, Victoire had just decided to jump ship before it hit. Before the screen faded to black and they'd begun to hate each other. He knew it would have killed them both if they'd ended in fighting. They were still friends now that the hurt had passed.

He'd healed. Mostly. And he was ready to give love a second chance. Although, he didn't think Victoire was too happy with his choice of partner. Teddy had finally decided- after a year of her stealing glances at him when she believed he wasn't looking- to give Dominique a chance.

She'd always been there, he'd realised. The younger sister he used to be great friends with, often babysitting the Potter kids together. They'd always got on well and she'd always been pretty in Teddy's eyes, it had just taken a while for him to realise that.

Dominique Weasley was more than they said. Yes, she was Victoire's younger sister. Yes, she wasn't as smart as her Ravenclaw sister- but she was clever in a cunning way, and she wasn't as boastful because of it. Yes, she wasn't as beautiful as Victoire- but she was still pretty. Victoire had an ethereal feel to her, with grace to her walk and a ghostlike glow to her almost white, blonde hair. But Dominique had an earthly beauty in her strawberry hair and hazelnut eyes that made her feel more like a warm hearth at winter (as he'd come to imagine her appearance) than a crystal blue lake in the mountains (as he'd pictured Victoire's).

And their personalities differed too. Victoire was like her mother. Proud, in the best sense, but a free spirit, untameable and untouchable. Dominique had the Weasley traits. She was adventurous like her father but not to the extent of silliness, loyal to a fault and as welcoming as a Hot Chocolate on a winter's night. She was home- the lantern out front, burning late into the evening to help you find your way back, a constant beacon in the cold depths of the tumultuous ocean that was life.

Teddy found something in Dominique that he could never find in her sister. Her love was quiet, like the wind that whispered in your ears or roared silently through the skies bringing with it all sorts of secrets from far off places. Her love was so full of mysteries that it, Teddy thought, would take him a lifetime to uncover.

At least, he'd never be bored.

Dominique's love was so very quiet, but it was so full of energy. Her love went deeper than he ever thought could exist, it burrowed so far that it created a cavern so deep in her heart that if removed, it could never be filled. But he never felt pressured. Instead, Dominique's love was freeing, it was always there but never burning. It was a constant caress, a blanket of air without which he would truly die.

Victoire was like a fire, but Dominique was the wind; the very air he breathed.

Story:

Teddy Lupin didn't quite know what to think about the situation he was in. Although it had been almost a year since he and Victoire had broken up he never really felt that he had got over her. They didn't really see each other very much anymore and, he supposed, that was the reason why he felt so out of place. She had been a part of his life for so long that he didn't know where to turn to or how to feel now that she was gone for the first time.

Except for the occasional big family get-together, the two hardly ever met, he was kept busy by Auror training and her by her job for the Daily Prophet as a model, and so, their lives had been almost entirely ripped apart from one another. And although they had been drifting apart and he had felt the rift between them for a few months before they parted, Teddy still felt extremely upset at their parting.

But it had been a year since the two had broken up and Teddy now had a greater hold on his life. That was until he went to pick up James, Albus and Lily from Kings Cross for the Christmas holidays that year, in the place of the ever-busy Harry Potter.

Teddy had always been close to the children of the Potter-Weasley Clan- Harry had treated Teddy as if he were his own son and so, the rest of the family treated him as their cousin or nephew or sibling. It was how the family was, ever welcoming. So, when he turned up at Platform 9 ¾ he was unsurprised to see not only the Potter children, but the Granger-Weasleys, Delacour-Weasleys, Johnson-Weasleys and little Scorpius Malfoy all huddled together, laughing at a prank James had pulled on an unsuspecting teacher.

This scene made him smile so bright that he didn't even notice (even with all the stares thrown her way) the tall, angelic blonde tapping her feet moodily in the corner, a perfectly shaped eyebrow raised in annoyance as her arms crossed her thin frame. It had been years since Teddy had not noticed the blonde when she was standing right in front of him.

'Well, we're all enjoying ourselves, today aren't we. Excited for Christmas?' The teasing voice of Teddy Lupin was graced with many cries of 'Teddy!' as he was bombarded by hugs and handshakes and questions and smiles. It always cheered Teddy up to see his siblings at the end of the term or during the holidays - he always made time to see them despite his substantial training regime.

'Hello, Edward.' A light, bell-like voice replied as soon as the crowd had dispersed, returning to telling tales of the best pranks and Quidditch moments of the term. Dominique Weasley stood smiling up at him, her strawberry hair infused with shades of pink which clashed slightly with her Slytherin coloured uniform. 'It's been a long time.'

'It has, entirely your fault I might add. If you hadn't been off gallivanting with Uncle Charlie, we might've seen each other over the summer, Little Red.' Teddy replied cheekily, flashing the girl his best smile.

'If you didn't spend all your time training then we might've seen each other at some other time. I wasn't away all holiday, Edward.' She retorted.

'I'm just teasing you, Red.' He smiled before crinkling up his nose as if he'd smelt something bad, 'And why do you insist on calling me that. Everyone else just calls me Teddy or even Ted.'

'I'll call you that until you stop calling me "little red", it's not a very Slytherin name after all.' She smirked back in return. He sighed, rolled his eyes dramatically and ruffled the girl's hair. That was until a manicured hand pulled his away, and a pair of blue eyes met his.

'You're late, we've been waiting.' Teddy swallowed as the piercing eyes of Victoire Weasley sent him an accusatory glance. The girl had changed since her Hogwarts days and now spent more time putting on makeup and trying to charm everyone around her than trying to be the funny girl she had been, once upon a time. She'd started to exude her Veela charms more often than not, instead of only when she really needed to- it was something he'd noticed as her final year in Hogwarts began to end. Now, it was painfully obvious that the woman standing in front of him was not the girl he once loved.

Teddy smirked in return, riling up the girl's nerves. 'Sorry Vic had a last-minute assignment to do for Harry. He wanted it in before I left, you know what it's like.'

The blonde huffed and headed for the exit dragging her brother and sister along with her. Domi sent an apologetic glance back to Teddy as she was dragged away. He then preceded to round up the kids, including Scorpius who was staying with the Potters for Christmas and haul them out towards the knight bus.

…...

It was Christmas before Teddy discovered the truth about the predicament he was in, at the Christmas dinner Molly Weasley held every year at the Burrow. Despite the increase in the number of guests, the lady insisted on cooking for her whole family on the occasion even if it was with the help of her daughter-in-law Hermione. The whole family set up a marquee in the garden with a huge fire in the middle to keep the cold out and hundreds of Weasley's Wizard Wheezes decorations lining the tent. Lines of tables, reminiscent of the Great Hall of Hogwarts, were put up and covered with table cloths that kept changing colours and patterns every few minutes or spewed out little clouds of glitter at unexpecting guests. It seemed that Roxanne had been the first victim as her long reddish mane of brunette hair had been dusted with silver specs.

Teddy loved Christmas. It was the time of year he felt the most like a member of the family as everyone crowded around Molly's excellent and plentiful dinners and passed roast potatoes and gravy and vegetables over the heads of their neighbours so that nobody missed a morsel. It was the time when he saw his Grandmother smile the most, where Uncle George made the most jokes, where Harry told tales, and _everyone_ wore their knitted jumpers- even a reluctant Ronald.

It just so happened that this year, Teddy was sat between little James Sirius Potter, a now rather smug and mischievous third year and Dominique, the brightest, kindest, most jovial member of the Weasley family despite her rather wild streak. And, just as the multitude of desserts had been dished out, Teddy found himself in a long conversation with Dominique for the first time in a while.

He'd once been rather close to the girl before he had spent most of his time with Victoire and his Hufflepuff friends or doing his rounds as Head Boy or partaking in Auror training, as the two had spent a lot of time babysitting for the Potters.

'I hear you have plans for after your graduation, Harry was telling me about how reckless he thought they were.' Teddy began almost making the girl fling her spoonful of Tiramisu at her brother across the table from them.

'Yes, I'm going to work with Uncle Charlie in Romania. I've always been fascinated by Dragons. It'll be an adventure!' Dominique grinned, running a hand over the Dragon-Hyde jacket her Uncle had gifted her earlier in the year.

'Sounds dangerous.' Teddy said, frowning involuntarily at the idea of her getting hurt.

'No more than becoming an Auror, Teddy. I don't need protection, I can handle myself- Hagrid said I'm the best in the Care of Magical Creatures class and he guarantees I'll get an O." After seeing the new look on Teddy's face, she continued, "Oh, don't give me that surprised look. I knew you were worried, you have that I'm-all-wolfishly-protective face on, the one you use when the mini-Potters are hurt.'

'I don't make a face like that!' Teddy cried, slightly indignantly as Domi smirked. He'd been a little louder than he expected and encouraged the looks of the other members of their table.

'You do actually, Teddy.' Louis Weasley, sniggered as he saw James mimic Teddy's protective face. This act made not only Louis laugh but Domi, James and Teddy himself burst out into a fit of giggles to the disdain of Victoire, who was sitting a few seats away from her sister.

'Okay, maybe I do.'

…...

'I see you sitting there Mr. Lupin, smirking to yourself at everyone else's expense.' The laughing voice of Teddy's best friend, Fred II Weasley, reaching him before he'd clapped a hand down on his shoulder. 'How do you manage to sneak off so quickly, I've been stuck by Grandma Weasley all evening trying to avoid eating more mince pies! It's favouritism that's what it is!'

The dark-skinned boy sat down next to Teddy and swung his arm around the back of the chair, smirking at the metamorphmagus. 'You know, I've noticed something fascinating tonight my dearest, darling cousin.' Fred drawled in the same way his father does when he's getting into mischief.

'Oh really?'

'Indeed' The boy nodded before stretching his legs out and leaning them on the table in front of him. 'I've noticed that someone seems a little preoccupied tonight. Thinking of my dear little cousin are we Tedster?'

'What are you on about, Freddie? I got over Victoire a long time ago.' In response, the accused boy jumped back startled.

'I wouldn't dare insinuate that! Who do you take me for? I meant little Domi." Teddy looked scandalized, but before he could argue contrariwise, Fred continued his voice suddenly lacking its usual teasing lilt,' I've seen you stealing glances at her all evening, mate.'

At Teddy's shocked face, Fred's eye's widened considerably making amber irises entirely visible. 'Don't tell me; you didn't know. You've been watching her all evening- since you walked in the door, mind!'

Fred gawped at his adoptive cousin. 'You didn't know?' Swallowing nervously, Teddy fell back into the sofa with a sigh, running his hands through his blue hair. Biting and licking his lower lip nervously, his eyes flicked between his best friend and Dominique who stood by the fire with Roxanne and Lucy. How had he not noticed himself staring?

Fred sighed exasperated, his cousin could be a total idiot at times, he was a great friend and all around good guy, but totally clueless. Fred had known Teddy had feelings for Dominique since Teddy's sixth-year Potions class when he'd come running to him after his encounter with Amortentia, but that was a different story altogether.

'You know, for someone as clever as you are Ted, you can be a total fool when it comes to love.' Fred smiled sadly, placing a hand on his friend's shoulder. But before he could say anything more, the two were interrupted by a third and older, more experienced voice.

'Just like his father then.' Harry Potter said, smiling down at the two boys with glasses of butterbeer in hand. He passed one to each of the boys before perching on the coffee table behind him. 'I remember a time when your father tried everything in his power to persuade himself that he wasn't in love with your mother. It was quite a funny sight- broke your mom's heart, though.'

Teddy leant forwards, listening carefully to his Godfather's words- he'd heard many stories of his parents, but never about this, about their love. Most had been of their personalities and experiences, and the sad look on Harry's face made this story seem important.

'It was because of your parent's love that made me realise that leaving Ginny had been a mistake. I'm sure everything would have been easier with her around.' Harry mumbled, running a hand through his long messy, black hair. 'I said some awful things to your father when he was going through a tough time, things I'd told myself over and over in my head about Ginny. I called him a coward because he left your mother on the pretence of protecting you both, just like I did.'

At this thought, Harry turned to watch his wife talking with her mother and Hermione by the by a table covered in hundreds of mince pies. 'But seeing your mother accept him back into her life, into your life because she loved him- because she realised he did what he did _because_ he loved you both- that love, made me come to my senses too. Made me understand that she would forgive me.'

Harry sighed and turned to face the two boys in front of him. A smile came upon his lips as he looked at Teddy. 'You're only twenty, and you've already been through so much and are incredibly wise, but I agree with Freddie. You're entirely useless when it comes to love, just like your father.'

Teddy scowled indignantly at a smirking Fred and smiling Godfather, but was cut off before he could say anything. 'Domi's been in love with you for years, Ted. Even a fool can see it; that's why Victoire's so protective of you when she's around.'

Teddy was shocked again, for the third time that night. His jaw hung slack, and his eyes almost popped out of his head- Dominique was in love with him? Had been in love with him _for years_? It wasn't possible. It must be some joke.

Harry sighed and pulled his Godson up from the couch before pushing him in the general direction of his niece. 'Go and talk to her.' As Teddy stumbled off Harry smiled at the images it produced of his parents.

'If he doesn't he'll regret it.' Fred mumbled, and Harry nodded, taking a sip from his butterbeer.

'He's lucky to have you as a friend, Fred.

'Isn't he just.' Was the reply, sending the two men into a fit laughter.

…...

'Oh, Hello Edward. Fancy seeing you here.' Dominique smiled at the older boy who, for some reason looked a little pale.

'Are you alright? You look ill.' She said before getting up and placing a hand on his forehead. 'You don't feel flushed or anything.'

Teddy blushed under the girl's intense gaze and shifted from foot to foot for a moment. He couldn't understand why his usual, blasé prankster attitude seemed to have seeped out of him as he moved closer to the strawberry-haired girl. He was totally fine, earlier today.

'I'm fine.'

'Fine isn't actually a feeling, Edward.' The girl smirked as she got up and brushed down her jeans, the apple green jumper hanging off one shoulder leaving the gold letter 'D' lopsided. Teddy just watched, unconsciously trying to make patterns within the freckles across her nose. He noticed that she had one darker freckle just under her left eye, and another under the right corner of her mouth.

'I'm heading outside to get some fresh air. It gets crowded in here at Christmas.' She began to walk away causing Teddy to hesitate. At his lack of movement, Dominique turned back around and looked at the bluenette with a raised eyebrow. 'You're welcome to join me.'

Teddy gulped before following behind the girl, tripping over a table leg slightly as he left. He just couldn't understand why he was so clumsy in front of Domi all of a sudden, he'd never felt so silly in all his life. As he passed where his friend and Godfather were sitting he swore he heard Harry mutter 'So much like his mother. Never clumsier than when she was near the one she loved.'

At this utterance, the wheels in Teddy's mind began to click- did he really like Dominique? Love her even? He was so wrapped up in his own thoughts that he didn't notice he'd come to a stop in the doorway until a sigh stopped his thoughts, halting them in place.

There she stood in the light of the outside lamps looking up at the sky, breath pooling around her in a small cloud stood the most beautiful girl he'd ever seen. There was something about seeing Domi this way: eyes shut lightly as she basked in the sudden coolness of the evening; hair spiralling around her in the breeze and shoulder bared revealing a slight dusting of freckles- that made the final cogs click into place in his mind. The ultimate question he'd been asking, no longer really needing a definite answer.

He found himself moving closer to Dominique until he was standing right next to her, so close in fact, he thought if he just wiggled a finger he'd be touching her. His brain struggled to function enough to form any sort of sentence, but it seemed he was saved from doing that by the object of his sudden affection and he couldn't help but watch the way her mouth curled as she spoke, the dark freckle under her lip catching his eye once again.

'That star right there, northeast, is the brightest star in the Lyra constellation. It's the star Vega. In Japanese folklore, it is said that Vega was a beautiful goddess who fell in love with a mortal- Altair- the star above it, just there. However, her father disapproved and forbade her from meeting him and so, their stars are separated by the Celestial River. It is said that they can only meet once a year- on the 7th night of the 7th moon- and only if he can navigate the treacherous River.' Domi traced a triangle in the night sky between three stars as she spoke.

'If it rains on that day, Vega is crying because she could not meet her lover. Isn't it a beautiful- yet sad story? Two people who love one another separated by family only to meet once a year?' Teddy watched as her hand dropped from the sky and came to wrap themselves around her own body, in an attempt to comfort- or keep out the cold- he couldn't really tell.

'I don't really see it that way. Honestly, it comforts me to know they are connected in another way. Vega and Altair form the Summer Triangle with Deneb, almost as if their friend wishes them to be together. Some suggest that it is Deneb that sends the crows to create a bridge for the lovers to reunite.'

'You were always interested in astronomy.'

Teddy could've slapped himself at his reply. It was the first thing that came into his head and never had he felt so stupid in his entire life. Domi just looked at him for a moment, a mind-numbingly slow moment, before she burst out laughing causing his cheeks to flush a pleasant pink colour. Small tears of mirth fell from her eyes as she hugged her stomach, trying to stop her laughter. Once again Teddy was struck by the beauty of the girl in front of him.

A girl who had loved him for years without him knowing- who had suffered watching him with her sister, her "perfect" sister, and hearing that they were brilliant together from all her family. Suffering in silence as she watched him with the one person in the world who could hurt her more than he could, than he _had_. Just like Vega's father had hindered his daughter's love.

Teddy sucked in a shaky breath as the girl stopped laughing and looked up into his eyes. The significance of the story of the stars hitting him harder than a Bat-Bogey Hex, as he peered into the depths of those hazel eyes. He didn't know what to say, he only knew that he had to say something-anything to show how he felt. How, he now realised, he'd always felt underneath the desire he held for Victoire.

'Domi, I-' Teddy began, his voice seizing up as a lump formed in his throat. He tried desperately to swallow it down until a cold finger pressed on his lips.

'I understand.' Was all she said as she pulled him down to meet her.

And then she was kissing him. That one kiss holding all the feelings she'd bottled up for all those years. In her soft lips was an intensity he could never have imagined, a determined drive that made a tingly jolt run up his spine as he pulled her closer. Closer so her hands rested on his chest allowing her to feel the thumping of his heart, so heavy he was afraid it had become a troll and was bashing up his insides.

He buried his hands into her hair carefully undoing the ponytail it had previously been in and letting its lengths fall onto her bared shoulder. As he pulled away in desperate need of air, he was once again drawn to the freckle under her lip, and he tentatively ran the pad of his thumb over it, scared that it might rub away and he'd never get another chance to look at it.

'You don't have to say anything right now, Ted. These things take time, heaven knows how long it's taken me to.' Domi sadly smiled at him. Suddenly a smirk burst out on his lips as he chuckled, a warmth he'd never felt before spreading through his body.

'You called me Ted.' Her eyes widened at the reminder, and she spluttered slightly a rose colour appearing over her cheeks.

'Don't think this will stop me from calling you Red.'

…...

'Pay up.' Ginny said, thrusting her hand out to her eldest brothers, Bill and Charlie. The two men just raised their eyebrows at her questioningly. She'd appeared out of nowhere a smile the size of Jupiter on her face with her husband, smiling tentatively a hand rubbing the back of his head, on her other arm.

When they looked at her questioningly, she pointed out to her adoptive son and her niece in the gardens. The two were clasped together as if stuck on Velcro, lips locked in a long-awaited kiss.

She'd known from the beginning that Teddy wouldn't marry Victoire despite what everyone had said, they just didn't suit, so when the family had all betted on when the two would marry, and she'd said, quite seriously "never," she knew she'd win the pot. She'd seen Domi and Teddy together when they babysat her children, and at Hogwarts when she managed to visit and, to her, they seemed nothing more than a second Remus and Tonks. One in denial, one always loving.

'I said, pay up.'

Once the Witch had her money, a sizeable amount she might add, and had run off to tell her mother the good news that Domi's silent love had finally prevailed, Harry sighed and shrugged his shoulders at the spell-shocked Weasley brothers.

'Never doubt the might of a Weasley woman. I learnt that the hard way.'

The three men nodded before watching Teddy and Dominique slip quietly back into the room hands tightly clasped together much to the chagrin of one blonde woman.

'Someone had best tell Teddy that.'


End file.
